The steel drum and pail industry has been the go-to packaging for packaging and transporting dangerous or hazardous goods for decades. One thing that has evolved is the interior chemical protective lining for the drum and pail industry. Drum and pail linings provide an economical and sustainable method to get the most use out of a steel drum and protect the goods inside.
Interior drum linings are critical to protecting the steel drums themselves and countless goods such as foods, beverages, chemicals, and many other products regularly shipped in steel drums and pails. There still may be some misconceptions, however, about interior pail and drum linings. Here are some of the most common facts associated with drum and pail linings that all users should be aware of.
Interior drum linings are critical to protecting the steel drums themselves and countless goods such as foods, beverages, chemicals, and many other products regularly shipped in steel drums and pails. There still may be some misconceptions, however, about interior pail and drum linings. Here are some of the most common facts associated with drum and pail linings that all users should be aware of.
Dry Film Thickness, DFT, Indicates Interior Drum Lining Coating
DFT is a pretty good indicator of the level of protective coating applied to your interior drums and pails. The DFT of steel drums should be checked regularly throughout the fabrication process. When rust inhibitors are applied it is typically in the range of approximately .1 to .2 DFT, whereas phenolic linings are typically applied in the range of .6 DFT or greater. Checking the DFT regularly ensures that your steel drums contain the appropriate level of lining prior to being shipped.
Certain Chemicals Require Steel Drum Linings
Drum and pail linings are used to protect the bare steel substrate that is used to make these industrial containers. In some cases, the use of these protective coatings may be mandatory. Some products and chemicals require drum linings for packaging and transportation as established in certain government regulations such as the Code of Federal Regulations, CFR 49. This includes regulations for drum and pail container linings when transporting certain chemicals. Transportation companies like United Parcel Service, UPS, and FedEx also have their own shipping requirements for transporting chemicals.
How to Choose the Drum Lining to Meet Your Product Needs
There typically is not one solution for every product, although one drum lining manufacturer, UNICHEM, does offer a universal drum lining solution with it’s RESCO® Universal. Many products possess different characteristics such as a pH range or corrosive properties that need to be considered when offering such products for safe transportation. Phenolic linings, for example, are generally used when packaging products that have a pH range within 3.0 to 7.0. Epoxy based chemical linings offer increased flexibility but with reduced resistance to acids. Generally, epoxy/phenolic based linings are typically employed when packaging products having a pH range between 7.0 to 9.0, among other physical characteristics.
Products and chemicals should undergo individual testing to determine the best type of drum and pail lining to meet safe transportation requirements. Some common applications of drum and pail linings include:
- Phenolics:
- Refrigerants
- Lacquers
- Alcohols and other strong solvents.
- Solvent-based resins
- Agricultural herbicides
- Epoxy phenolics
- Detergents
- Water-based products like ink
- Food concentrates.
- Latex products
Contact an experienced custom coating and chemical manufacturer like Universal Chemicals & Coatings, Inc., UNICHEM, to ensure the right type of drum and pail lining is chosen for storing or transporting your valuable goods.
While you do not necessarily need a chemistry degree to choose the right drum and pail lining for your products, you should always check your safety data sheets, speak with your packaging distributor and consult an experienced drum and pail lining provider.
UNICHEM Offers Drum and Pail Lining Solutions
UNICHEM offers interior drum and pail linings in a variety of solvent-borne and waterborne chemistries with our proven RESCO® interior drum lining solution. Our solvent-borne interior drum linings provide superior chemical resistance and solutions when others have failed. They are available in roll coat or spray-on versions and can be recoated without compromising performance.
Our waterborne interior drum and pail chemical linings are also available in roll coat and spray-on versions and can be recoated without compromising performance. They provide a less flammable solution was safer flashpoints with low Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAPs) and low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). UNICHEM’s RESCO® Universal is a proprietary solvent drum lining with high heat curing, bringing the latest innovation to market for the steel industrial drum and pail industry.
UNICHEM has been providing custom chemical, coating, and adhesive solutions for more than 50 years. We offer quality drum and pail lining solutions and one universal product that resists a full array of chemistries combined in one solution. Contact us to learn more about RESCO® and choose the best drum and pail lining for your steel drums and products.